Story and Photos by Keith Kellett

Burj el Arab Hotel

To tell the truth, I wasn’t much looking forward to the tour of Dubai. From what I’d read, there’s really nothing to do here except shop … if you can afford it … and marvel at the scale or opulence of the buildings. It’s home to the Burj al Khalifa, the tallest building in the world; the Dubai Metro, which we were told was the longest driverless rail network in the world and the Burj al Arab, said to be the most opulent hotel in the world.

Sometimes, it seems that the cities of the Emirates and most of the other Gulf states are competing with each other to get the most entries in the Guinness Book of Records.

But, the guide was keen to show us that there is another side to Dubai; that there was ‘life before oil’.

Dubai Museum

So, one of our first stops was at the museum, situated in the Al Fahidi fort, which is considered the oldest building in the city. It dates from 1799, and was once the seat of government and the residence of the ruler.

It’s not just, however, a display of artefacts. There are some here, as well as a reconstruction of a prehistoric burial site, but the main emphasis is a series of life-sized dioramas, which give an accurate representation of the times when Dubai was a pearling and fishing settlement, and only a minor trading post.

The costumes, furnishings and general way of life are all portrayed here.

Now, when you hear the words ‘city tour’, you get a picture of being bussed from place to place, allowed to marvel at, and photograph each for a short while, and really only hearing what the guide tells you. But, we just took a short ride, to the waterfront at Dubai Creek.

This is a ‘creek’ in the English sense; a narrow inlet of the sea, rather than the small stream suggested to an American or an Australian. The way to cross it is by a traditional water taxi called an ‘abra’, which is just one kind of craft which plies the creek. There’s everything here from luxurious cabin cruisers to traditional dhows, which still carry cargo of all kinds to all ports in the Gulf.

Abra

Aboard the Abra

The ‘abra’ seats about ten souls, sitting back to back on a central bench. I was a little concerned, at first, because there only seemed to be one lifebelt aboard. But, it’s constructed of stout, solid wooden planks … even, in some places, beams … so I would imagine it’s just about unsinkable.

We got off the ‘abra’ on the northern side of Dubai Creek, and walked a few yards to the Spice Market. Here, in a rather old-fashioned looking covered arcade, the spice merchants sold their wares. Pictures can do it no justice … you have to visit it to breathe in the atmosphere, and the exotic aroma.

Spices

Not only spices are on sale here. A couple of times, I got approached by itinerant vendors. Did I want to buy a watch? Genuine Rolex? Or, some Viagra? But, they weren’t too much of a nuisance; a polite ‘No, thank you’ was sufficient.

I did buy some spices, though … how could I not? I love paella, and here was saffron at a fraction of the price it is at home. The stallholder took it from a huge container that made me think that somewhere in the Emirates, there’s a field about the size of Yorkshire, full of crocuses.

Can you see the saffron?

At home, so much saffron in one place would probably be surrounded by security guards. But, there were none; neither were there any in the nearby Gold Souk. You could just wander into any shop and look around, even though most of them had enough gold jewellery on display to buy every house in our street, and still leave some change.

Most Middle Eastern cities have a Gold Souk. Gold is an excellent investment and, while it’s available in bars or ingots, most men prefer to see it decorating the ladies in their lives.

The Gold Souk

Again, it’s in an old-fashioned arcade, this time, cruciform, which made it easier for the guide. She arranged to meet us in the centre of the cross … ‘… and, if you come out into the street, you’ve gone the wrong way!’

Gold!

On the way back to our ship, I spotted a new, modern building with a sign outside, saying ‘New Gold Suq’. I really hope that some of the trade will remain in the old Suq, for I feel that much of the old Dubai will be lost if they all move there.